


a sliver of silver lining

by babycubpenguin



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: F/F, hyeju, hyeyul, mongmin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babycubpenguin/pseuds/babycubpenguin
Summary: Tasked with work outside the city, Hyewon embarked on a journey that she won't ever forget.
Relationships: Kang Hyewon/Jo Yuri, Kang Hyewon/Kim Minju
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16





	1. one chaotic evening

Hyewon closed her desktop and leaned back at her swivel chair with a sigh. It was 7:08 in the evening, and she just finished writing up her article for the presidential survey held by several universities. Hyewon looked at her desk - three mugs of coffee, a half-eaten donut, tons of paper scattered. And it's just a Monday. Nevertheless, it was still her last work for the day, and she thought of just napping in their workplace before going home until a loud tap on her desk surprised the hell out of her.

"Meeting at the conference room in 10."

Hyewon let out a groan. Being one of the few staff writers of their small mass media company, a female at that, her work has doubled since the start of their country's campaign period, which added at least three hours in her usual working hours per day. And now, a meeting. Getting up from her seat, Hyewon threw the donut in the trash bin and grabbed the used mugs on her desk, bringing them to their common wash area to clean it. It was during these moments that Hyewon tried to envision what would have happened had she not taken this path, had she followed her parents' wishes to be a doctor instead, not this "cheap, ungrateful hell of a job," whatever they mean. But she understood that after the long hours of no sleep, disrupted eating patterns, no time for herself, and low salary; she understood her parents' wishes as both were from the medical field, enjoying their money. Almost the same grievances, but at least they've got money; Hyewon doesn't. She chuckled to herself, wondering why is she still in this field for about a year now.

After washing the mugs, she took one and made herself yet another coffee. A meeting to end her day is for sure a headache, Hyewon thought. Bringing her coffee with her, she headed towards the conference room, hoping that the meeting would flow smoothly.

\-----

It did not.

Instead, the conference room was a mess, journalists arguing with each other, editors shouting at whatever papers are in their hands, interns picking up any papers being thrown around. Hyewon could only sigh at the sight; all these men willing to kill each other for the slightest exposure there can be. She could not blame them, though; she also craved exposure to help her boost her career. But not like this - literal chaos asking for the better stories, better angles about the upcoming election, hanging on every gossip that might be fed into the general public's minds.

Ah, Politics.

Of course, these men knew how much traction politics could help them gain exposure. Hyewon did not bother volunteering herself, knowing how her coworkers will kill just to get their name under the politics section. How can she when threatening looks bore on her the last meeting, and she was assigned to the piece about various universities' presidential surveys, the one she finished earlier? Since that meeting, she was met by cold stares and dry conversations. Hyewon was used to these treatments, but she dreaded the tense atmosphere whenever she's in the same room with co-writers. Just as she was disgustingly glaring at these men in the room, their editor-in-chief, who was busy smoking even in the midst of a meeting while letting his subordinates fight like animals in front of him, finally spoke.

"Enough," he commanded, putting out his cigar and instantly reaching out for a new one. Hyewon stared in disgust at their chief editor, then looked around to see these men promptly behave and looked seemingly approving of their chief's actions. Hyewon could only roll her eyes at her superiors, what asses they are to encourage a man to smoke in a closed room with poor ventilation, a room with "no smoking" signs on.

"Enough of politics," the chief said as he puffed his cigar. "There's an incoming storm that will hit the province tomorrow. I need someone to be there. I need a live broadcast or any live footage. Any volunteers?"

Funny how almost everyone who was fighting over some stories become quiet all of a sudden. The once chaotic conference room stilled, allowing the sounds of some clearing their throats or turning papers to be heard. Hyewon almost scoffed at what she is witnessing, questioning these people who chose this profession of delivering news and whatnot but did not budge at the mention of a storm.

"I need someone to stay there for at least a day or two to monitor the situation. Kang already wrote about it, but now we need live updates." With the mention of her surname, all eyes suddenly glared at Hyewon, and how she wished she has never written about it because she knew these people would only treat her with contempt more.

"Well, she wrote about it, then it's better if she's the one to cover it too, right?" the man on her right suggested, followed by a murmur of agreements.

"Take note that the person to be deployed is alone. Meaning they'll be in charge of everything, from writing the story to covering it live. I mean everything. I can't spare a crew to go there."

"She's fine. She can do that. Let us do the harder works like you know the election," another one seconded—another round of agreeing murmurs. Hyewon can feel the smirk of these men as they continually push the story away from them. Her nerves are slowly getting to her, but she mustered with all her will the need to control herself.

"She's a girl," their chief retorted, waving his hand dismissing the suggestion. "She can't do that alone."

And that was the last straw. Hyewon could not take it anymore, not when they're referring to her in the third person, not when her chief's downplaying her gender, not when her colleagues are pushing her over.

"I will do it," Hyewon affirmed, albeit a bit shaky, which made their chief frown while her peers smiled in victory. But seeing the smiles of these vicious men, or Hyewon would like to call them hyenas, she finalized her resolve at once.

Their chief was about to say another word, but she beat him to it. "I will do it," she repeated, this time much firmer. "I will leave today. I got some contact from there anyway. I can do it."

Silence.

"Okay. Meeting adjourned then."

While other people scrambled to get off their seats, Hyewon finally released her breath she didn't even know she was holding in. And when she thought everything's over, she heard his chief speak in his low voice, with a tone she hated with all her heart.

"If you need help, I'm just a call away. You know that, right? I can accompany you, and we'll book the best hotel there is."

Her fists curled, her jaws clenched, and her whole body shivered in disgust with what she heard. Her vision narrowed, and her mind was clouded not until she felt a touch on her shoulders - that's when she flinched and pulled away from their chief.

"No, thank you. I can manage myself very well. If you may excuse me." With that, Hyewon left the conference room and made her way back into her desk. She could already hear gossips being passed on throughout her peers, something she has heard the moment she step foot on this company. Gossips saying that she's just a pretty face, she's just a decoy that the chief wants in his sight. She knew a new gossip would float again, but after being in the company for a year, she learned to just put it all behind her and focus on her work. And that is what she'll do.

What Hyewon thought to be a good end of a workday turned out to be yet another horrifying experience, something to be added to her list of horrible experiences in the company. Thoughts of why she chose to continue her profession resurfaced in her mind, and she knew with each experience, her will and passion wavers. Collecting her things and heading for the elevator, she sighed as she remembered a game night with her friends. Hyewon would gladly ditch her work if not for all the things that happened today, if not for these men crushing her ego. Of course, she would not back down on self-centered and obnoxious colleagues. Powering her way through the crowd of other co-workers hanging out in the hallway, she walked with her head held high, never softening her gaze. All eyes were on her and the crowd hushed and only the sound of Hyewon's heels clicking on the floor can be heard. It was almost like a scene from a movie, where the protagonist was hated by everyone from work but they don't care about them at all. Almost like a movie, because the moment she entered the elevator alone, all those stares got her defenseless, all those gossips got her feeling ashamed, all her hard work felt like a punishment. Almost like a movie, she shed a tear no one would know about.

But the moment she elevator dinged, Hyewon pulled herself together at once, not letting anyone see her in that state. She got into her car and immediately pulled out her phone from her bag, calling her friend. 

"Hey, guys, change of plans. I'll be going out of town tonight. Duty calls," Hyewon shouted over the phone as she slowly sank herself into the driver's seat. Leather seats were really a good investment.

"What why? We've planned our game night for weeks!" a loud and raspy voice resonated throughout the car. Hyewon frowns at her phone upon hearing the voice, and confusion was etched on her face.

"Yena," Hyewon started. "Put Kkura on please, I called her, not you."

Hyewon heard some resisting noise and some scuffle from the other side, and as she started to drive, she finally heard Sakura's voice.

"Hi there, Hye. What's with the change of plans?"

Hyewon then continued to rant about her monotonous day that ended in a sour night. She recounted how she was about to end her day in peace when suddenly a meeting ruined it, a meeting that exposed how macho these men portray themselves, how these men look down on her, how even their chief disrespects her as a person. Hyewon was boiling mad she had to slow down and stop her car. It is ironic to her how high her respect is for the said profession, but how low her respect is for the people professing to be practicing it. So much for their oath and pledge to serve the people to their utmost capacity when they only serve themselves.

"Fuck 'em men! Don't listen to them scumbags. They're worthless anyway. They're not worthy of you!" Hyewon heard Yena from the background. She could not help but chuckle at how Yena passionately hate men. But she understood, she understood very well. Sakura then cleared her throat after shushing Yena, probably with more than a shush but also with a kick, Hyewon thought.

"Well yes, I agree with Yena. But, are you okay?" Sakura asked, emphasizing the okay. Hyewon stopped for a second before speaking. She talked about her work, her colleagues, her chief - she talked about everything except herself. She spared what happened at the elevator, her screaming thoughts and all. Hyewon exhaled. "Yes, I'm okay."

Although it did not sound like she was answering Sakura, it sounded more like convincing herself that she was okay. And so, Sakura just accepted her answer, albeit skeptical.

"Anyway, let's have a quick dinner. So where am I headed?"

\-----

Their dinner was short yet full of stories shared. They had their dinner in Sakura's apartment, not far from Hyewon's, so the latter decided to spend a little more time with her two buddies. Hyewon felt revived being with her friends, and there is just something about their presence that made her feel so warm, a contrast to her daily work life. Just hearing Yena and Sakura banter, Yena making a fool of herself for some good laugh, and Sakura just straight up shutting down Yena's jokes is already making Hyewon feel at home. And sometimes she wonders, is this her only source of happiness?

After their dinner, Yena opted to stay overnight at Sakura's apartment as Hyewon headed back to her own. Back to her own cold apartment where she barely stays. Her working hours stretched too long for her to enjoy the comforts of her apartment anymore. She scanned her room and missed her friends at once. Oh, how she imagined her friends at her apartment right now, playing some games or drinking some wine, but all that welcomed her is a cold, pitch black, almost empty apartment of hers. Quickly shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, she immediately went to her bedroom to pack for her things. Thinking that she could stay in the province for more than two days, she packed her stuff good for three days. And she's ready.

She opted to nap for an hour before taking off since it was just 10 in the evening. Hyewon planned to arrive at her destination at least before 7 in the morning since it was an 8-hour drive. With thoughts of tomorrow floating in her head, she closed her eyes as she lay on the bed, finally able to nap after a grueling day. She just hoped that things would be smooth and better than her day today. She wished.


	2. two bodies out in the cold

For the first time in her life, Hyewon experienced such a rough journey. She did embark on her target time, but as the distance from the city widens, she found herself getting nearer the center of the storm - what started from drizzles on the outskirt of the city turned to aggressive raindrops as she nears the province. What she thought to be a smooth ride became almost hell as she rode throughout the night battling the raging rain, only occasionally stopping at convenience stores or gasoline stations for some coffee breaks and some food or when the wind and rain were unbearable. Still, Hyewon managed to arrive safely at the inn she will stay in for a day or so. Her calculations were right - she reached the inn around 5:13 in the morning, she still has ample time to fix her things at the inn and prepare for the morning live broadcast she has to report in.

A familiar figure, a man in his early 20s, was waiting for her at the entrance of the five-story building, wearing a blinding smile. Hyewon smiled back when she saw the person, who immediately ran at her aid amidst the terrible rain. "Seungmin! You didn't have to. I can handle it myself," Hyewon berated the younger guy, who only laughed back at her as he took her duffle bag with a bit of a struggle.

"Oof, your bag is heavy, though! I can barely carry it," Seungmin retorted. "I have your room readied already; I chose the room myself. I picked the best." The lad continued to say, being proud and all, to which Hyewon could only smile with the same proudness. How can she not be proud of the younger guy when she grew up with him and acted as a big sister to Seungmin, not until they had to move to another town. With both of their parents working long hours, Hyewon basically raised him. Seeing the younger grow up to be the man he is now, Hyewon is utterly proud of him.

"So, breakfast first?" Seungmin stopped at the front desk while gesturing to some workers to get Hyewon's bag to her respective room. Hyewon nodded and followed the younger to the dining hall.

After getting some pancakes and hot coffee, the two settled on a table near a window, and Hyewon could see just how the rain is getting more aggressive by the hour. Not minding it much, she decided to just focus on eating and catching up with her younger 'brother.' Hyewon learned that Seungmin was now the manager of this inn that was managed before by his parents. She also explained how she landed the coverage in that province without getting into some details that might upset Seungmin. She remembered one time when Seungmin visited her in her office and how she nonchalantly told the younger about a co-worker hitting on her nonstop, and the younger was immediately fired up to the point where she dragged Seungmin into a nearby cafe to let him cool down or else he might actually punch that guy. So Hyewon spared those details.

Hyewon then elaborated her plans to the younger, and the two discussed her stay in the province. Just as the two were starting to keep up with each other, a crew approached Seungmin and whispered something to him. The younger's aura went from being the bubbly kid he was to an authoritative figure. The air suddenly was filled with dignified respect, and Hyewon was so proud to see this side of him. Only nine months into his manager job and he already exerted such aura and a great leader's manner.

But as much as she was proud of him, Hyewon could not help but think of herself, how one year into her job, she was still a staff reporter, a pushover, a prey to the world of men. These thoughts filled Hyewon's mind like an hourglass, and she's at the bottom of it, both hands and feet tied, and sand slowly filling in, suffocating her bit by bit. Suddenly, everything she has done felt useless. What can a girl in a world dominated by man do by herself anyway? Hyewon stared out at the window, looking forlornly at the gloomy sight, the voices around her getting tuned out. Right, she forgot she has to go out to god knows where for her live coverage. Another sigh left her lips, and that's when she noticed Seungmin stood up and cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Hey, I'm sorry. There's something up I need to check. It may take a while so-"

"I understand, Seung. No need to say sorry," Hyewon interjected before Seungmin could finish what he was saying. "I'm about to go out anyway." She gestured at her wristwatch, and both just understood that they have responsibilities to take care of. But Seugmin had a much more important job though, a voice in Hyewon's mind resonated. I know.

After bidding their goodbyes, Seungmin went with his staff but not without giving her room keys.

"End of the left hall, just as you always wanted because you hated interacting with people you want to isolate yourself," Seugmin said with a childish grin, and Hyewon could not help but ruffle his hair just like good old times. With that, Hyewon went to her room.

Her room was located on the third floor. As instructed by the lad, her room was at the farthest left of the hall. The moment she opened the door, she was met with a familiar setup of a room. Hyewon could not hide her smile, for Seungmin did choose the perfect room for her. It was just a normal inn room with a full-sized bed and regular bathroom, but what made the difference was the mini refrigerator at the corner of the room. Hyewon headed straight to it, and as she opened it, she was surprised with the amount of food and goods inside. Hyewon closed it and noticed a note, probably left by Seungmin himself.

"I made sure to stock the fridge completely because I know you won't go out of your room. I also left an electric stove and some cooking utensils for you only. But that's a secret! That's supposedly prohibited in my inn >:( but I did for you because I love you :ppppp - seungminnie p.s. don't tell mom and dad"

Hyewon could not help but laugh at the younger's antics. All of a sudden, the room was filled with warmth that made her feel safe as if she has stayed her all her life. She wondered how a simple note from Seungmin painted the room's walls with bright colors, resonating their bond. She never thought something temporary could feel like home.

After gathering and securing all the things she needed for her work, Hyewon proceeded to leave the building. As she was about to exit the building, she overheard the guard and staff talking about the storm and how it was getting stronger and stronger. Hyewon looked around and saw a morning news channel on, updating about the weather but no specific storm updates for the province she was in. She sighed, seeing how city news filled the television broadcast but little to no news about far-flung provinces. She could hear the guard saying something about the 'bridge too old for this mad furious rain' and the staff agreeing but she paid no attention. She was on a mission. Getting out of the building, lashing winds slapped her whole body, almost causing her to lose her balance; even the main entrance's roof could not shield her away from the harsh rain. Hyewon quickly ran into her car just a few meters away from the entrance, entering her car with already wet clothes.

"Great, just great," she said to herself. The start of her day was already a roller coaster, from meeting Seungmin again in the province to facing the reality of why she was here in the first place. With no sleep at all, she was about to start working in a literal cold and unknown environment. "Damn it. I forget to bring coffee."

This was the real start of her day. With soaked clothes, no sleep, and no coffee, Hyewon was about to deal with a hell of a day.

\-----

The road was almost impassable due to the continuous pouring of heavy rains and torrent winds, and Hyewon was thankful she was able to drive through all it. Stopping her car near a bridge that connects the city and the province, she witnessed how high the waters were dangerously running, and it made her think twice if she chose a good location. But to hell with it, she was already there with all her stuff, with only ten minutes to spare before she covers the storm being broadcasted live throughout.

Quickly setting up her laptop and camera and intricately positioning it inside the car without compromising the video's quality, Hyewon managed to finish it all with two more minutes to spare. She contacted the staff at the station immediately and was now on standby. Amidst the terrifying lashes of rain literally slapping her body, Hyewon stood outside of her car with the bridge and its rising waters as the background. She backtracked what she prepared, mentally checking if she missed anything. Camera connected to the laptop for video coverage? Check. Earpiece working well and clear? Check. The view of the bridge while someone was bravely crossing it? Check. The view of the what?!!

Hyewon whipped her head towards the almost not visible bridge to see if she indeed saw a person crossing it. The first thought that came into her mind was maybe it was just a figment of her imagination due to lack of sleep, but she can slowly form a figure of some sort slowly moving. Since she could not confirm it with what blurry vision she has that moment due to the rain and wind and all, her brain was working overtime. She could either charge towards the bridge to confirm what she saw and help the person or she could just turn a blind eye and continue with her coverage, which is starting in less than 60 seconds. A thousand thoughts were swirling in her head, it was as if time stopped for her until she made a decision. At that moment where the rain was ravaging, the reporter started sweating, her hands got cold, and she was frozen in her spot, still looking at the blurry sight before her. She could hear something being said from her earpiece, but her mind was ... a mess. Is it the fear of abandoning a human in need or the fear of being embarrassed on national television? All these internal conflicts continued to arise in her and with every second ticking like a time bomb, Hyewon just—

"Kang, you're going live in 10...9...8..."

Hyewon never heard the end of it for she was already running like being chased by a crazy madman, against the wind and rain, against her own will, maybe. Sludges of mud tried to slow her down but her adrenaline was working at its optimum capacity and in no time she was nearing the figure of a person. So it was real and not her imagination. But what trickled her mind and made her panic ten more times was the bridge. The bridge was slowly crumbling from the other end, and she could feel that any time the whole bridge may completely collapse. With the last spurt of energy she has, Hyewon sprinted at the person only to see a girl almost freezing to death, and when she held her hands it was cold as metal, and when she looked at her eyes — pain.

All Hyewon saw was pain reflected in the girl's eyes, a deep kind of hurt that she could never fathom. She did all her best to break the tantalizing gaze and to haul both of them out of the dangerously crumbling bridge, so Hyewon led the girl's hand around her neck and carried the girl in her back since the latter could not even move on her own and tried to run as fast as she can even with the extra weight because she was afraid they might die. Unbeknownst to her, the girl was whispering something. Her voice rasped and cracked, the girl tried blurting out a word. A cry for help. A desperate prayer. All unheard.

Perhaps, Hyewon was thinking she was a hero of some sort, something to feed her ego after ditching her work at the very last minute, but whatever she was thinking, the girl she was carrying was trying to look back at the collapsing bridge, its debris slowly falling just as the girl's eyes were slowly drooping. Before fully submitting into unconsciousness, a word came out of her mouth, and although almost inaudible, Hyewon could not forget the pain in her strained voice. Amidst her running against the rain and wind, amidst the danger of crossing the bridge, amidst the fear of abandoning her job, all she felt was agony; and how her heart goes out to the girl in her back for she knows that whatever reason it was, it was gravely important. For her last word was not herself but to someone else. For her word bore any greater emotions than Hyewon has ever expressed before, how it felt like a stab in the chest, pouring over all repressed feelings.

"Sorry..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kinda in a bad place right now but I did my best to update. Hope you like it


	3. three minute call, maybe

Driving back to the inn in the terrible storm was not Hyewon's priority the moment she set foot on her car. Her top concern was the girl in the passenger's seat, the girl who was now unconscious, shivering every few seconds caused by being soaked in the rain for too long. Not that Hyewon herself was not shivering, but all she could think of at that moment was this poor girl, and what made her bravely (and stupidly) cross the bridge that was on the verge of crumbling. What her words meant before she fell unconscious, what her eyes conveyed as she stared at those orbs. Hyewon was thinking deeply about all those things until she heard her phone ring. Abruptly answering the call without looking who the caller was and putting it on speaker, a loud voice welcomed her at once.

"What the hell was that, Kang Hyewon?!"

In a surprise, Hyewon sharply stomped on the brakes, almost making the girl on her passenger's seat fall. After a few seconds of buffering, Hyewon finally said a word to the caller, saying hello in a timid voice.

"Why the hell you so polite for? After almost dying?! What goes into your mind, charging into that bridge like a mad person while the damn bridge was crumbling?! Are you fucking insane? Did you finally lose it?!" A barrage of questions welcomed her ears. "Oh, it's just you Kkura," Hyewon sighed. "I thought it was my boss calling. But what are you saying? Are you telling me that-"

"You fucking moron, you almost died! With a thousand people watching it live!"

Silence ensued; Sakura could be heard inhaling and exhaling loudly while there was the faint voice of Yena trying to calm her down. Hyewon found it weird how their dynamics have somehow exchanged, but did not voice out that thought. The moment Sakura calmed down, Hyewon went on explaining how the whole thing happened. How she was in the midst of the storm minding her own peace until she saw the glimpse of the person, now in her passenger's seat, that stirred up a storm in her thoughts. 

Sakura could be heard sighing, and Yena took the opportunity to say something that astounded the girl driving.

"Dude, you're viral. The whole thing you did, it was caught on cam. I must say netizens were in awe of how brave you saved that person."

As if on cue, the person that was saved stirred up, groggily opening up her eyes, and the girl driving and the girl who just woke up met each other's eyes, instantaneously making Hyewon forget about her call with Sakura and Yena.

The latter's face looked so tired from too much crying and there were traces of dried tears on her cheeks, but her eyes were already brimming with tears on the verge of falling. Her eyes that spooked Hyewon too much she had to break their stare. She could not contain the pang in her heart looking at those eyes, filled with nothing but suffering. Like a bird trying to escape its cage, like shouting without a sound made, like a stab in the heart with no bleeding. Hyewon could not even utter a word, so she just focused her eyes on the road, barely visible with the torrential rain. Just then, the girl beside her broke the growing silence.

"Is that...a phone? Can I...borrow your phone? Please... I just need to call someone...."

Her voice was hoarse, and she probably took every strength in her frail body to sound as neutral as possible to cover up her emotions but the voice of desperation cannot be unheard. 

"...and I can't believe everything! You must be...Kwangbae, hello? Still there?"

"Gotta call you back later, Yena. Bye."

"What? Wait who was-"

Hyewon quickly ended the call with her right hand before extending it towards the girl beside her. The latter did not hesitate to take it, dialing a number in a flash. The call was not answered, and the girl was panicking. Hyewon wanted to do something, to help her, but she barely knew who the girl was, much less help her in her grievance. But noticing how the girl's breathing was becoming erratic rapidly, and would possibly have a panic attack, Hyewon reached out for her hand, drawing circles on the back of the girl's hand, who looked taken aback. It was the least she can do and she followed up with a small phrase.

"Breathe in and breathe out," she said while also doing it, encouraging the girl to do the same. Thankfully, the girl did the same, and her breathing slowly went back to normal. Seeing how the girl was gradually calming down, she withdrew her hands and she frowned at the sudden loss of warmth, even though both of their hands were cold. Hyewon thought about asking for the girl's name but the latter was already dialing another number, so she just decided against it.

After a short while, the ringing of the phone resonated in the car, drowning all the other noise outside. Anxious tension was bubbling up in the atmosphere, and Hyewon wished she was anywhere but here, in the presence of a stranger on the verge of breaking down while waiting for her call to be answered. 

Fortunately, the call was picked up and the girl beside her burst out a series of her concerns.

"Chaewon, where is mother? Are you with her? How are you guys? Please tell me you're okay. Please..."

So it was family, Hyewon thought, but quickly shrugged the thought away, deciding that it was invasive of her to listen to someone else's conversation, especially such a sensitive one. But she could not help but glance now and then at the girl, who then started crying again. Tears flowing down her beautiful face, and Hyewon did not notice before how the girl was gorgeous, probably because all she saw was devastation on her face a while ago. 

The girl continued to talk to Chaewon, whoever she was, but mostly asked about her family. The girl also tried her best not to break down in front of Hyewon and must have mustered all her energy into speaking as calmly as possible. But her voice cracked and her resolve wavered upon asking a question.

"Can I please hear her speak? Please?"

The amount of pleases that came out of the girl's mouth was countless already, and every time it somehow adds weight to her heart. Another deadly silence took over, and it was slowly killing Hyewon who was not even a part of the conversation, she wondered how the girl was handling everything. The silence, the tension, the faint sound of the radio -- Hyewon even forgot she had it opened --, all of it too much that the strong pouring of rain against the windshield sounded like ever so distant.

Suddenly, the girl beside her burst out crying, not minding that she was in a stranger's car using a stranger's phone. She just poured out her heart into the open. Hyewon felt a surge of unknown emotions as if leading her to her breakdown. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, hoping it might suppress these emotions threatening to make her tear up. At that moment, she just wanted to stop the car and hug the girl, assuring her that whatever the hell is happening will pass by, that somehow everything will be okay. But she did not. She continued driving, speeding up a little to get over this trip, to get out, to relish herself once more in the falling rain. Because to her, that is better than being stuck with this girl, with whatever she had going on, and Hyewon badly wanted to not care at all, but the moment the call ended and the girl let go of the phone, Hyewon once again reached out for her hand, making her feel some sort of warmth, some sort of comfort that she knew was not possible but she did anyway. And the girl was about to doze off again but tried to speak to the driving girl. 

"I'm Yuri. Thank you..."

Hyewon almost stuttered as she mentioned her name. "I, well, I'm Hyewon. No problem, Yuri."

The girl Yuri just nodded and she fell to sleep again. But even as Yuri fell asleep, Hyewon still held her hand, still drew circles on the back of her hand and Hyewon was thankful she bought an automatic car. Their hands slowly warming up, Hyewon made it her mission to somehow help Yuri. After all, she already had saved her, might as well continue it. 

And it just occurred to her that now she knew the girl's name. 

Yuri.

And she felt a warm feeling deep inside her upon knowing her name. If she felt an awfully familiar feeling, she shrugged it away. She was just both thankful and melancholic to come across this girl that she saved from instant devastation. There was something about Yuri that is both dangerous and solace, but Hyewon could not point it out just yet.

"Yuri."

Hyewon whispered, making her face brighten a little without noticing it. 

Her day would be complicated she reckoned --she found it amusing how it does not bother her that much -- all because of one person. 

Yuri.


	4. four hours and counting

The room was eerily quiet except for the sound of pouring rain and constant steps of Hyewon as she paced around. She was now in her rented room back in the inn, and she received a text from their CEO a while ago regarding an online meeting. Hyewon was freaking out because first of all, their CEO hates online calls or meetings, or anything online for that matter, secondly, their CEO despises sudden meetings out of nowhere, and lastly, their CEO would NEVER text her as he firmly believes phone messages are plainly disrespectful. To top all of it, their CEO barely interacts with other staff directly, only passing his words through their editor-in-chief. Heck, they do not even see him in his own office, as if he was invisible. So when Hyewon received a text from the CEO saying that they'll have an online meeting at exactly 10 am, one can just imagine the reporter's distress. Fortunately, she received the text when they were already in the inn, and with ample time to prepare herself. After a quick shower and a little organizing of her stuff, Hyewon found herself pacing back and forth across the room. Her anxiety even growing as Yuri was there on her bed, sleeping soundly as if she had not experienced a distressful event. Finally, she stopped and looked at the girl on her bed. A sigh escaped her lips and all she could do was sit on the edge of the bed, wondering how everything ended up this way. But who could she blame? She was the one who acted on it; the moment she left her live reporting she knew everything would be a mess. But she did not dwell on it. Why would she when she just saved a person's life? That in itself was fulfilling her oath to serve the people. And somehow it felt right, that thought made her feel at ease at the sense of fulfillment of her profession.

Because that's what she had always wanted to do, right? To do something worthy, to be someone worthy.

Amid her pondering, the ringing sound coming from her laptop pulled her out of these thoughts. Hyewon immediately scrambled towards the desk at the corner of the room, chanting a quick pep talk to herself before answering the call. Properly facing the laptop screen, Hyewon accepted the video call and was met by the CEO with the view of the skyline in the background, inferring that he was in his office room. And that meant he was alone.

Unlike their editor-in-chief, the CEO was neat and nice. Compared to the grungy conference where they often had meetings, seeing the CEO's view was quite a change. The sun was out and the sky was clear, the whole ambiance of her CEO's view was a sight she certainly missed, almost mocking her with all its glory. But contrary to the bright look behind was the CEO's unreadable face. Hyewon had never interacted with the man in any way ever, except maybe when she had the interview to this job, but other than that, this was the second time they are going to talk. She had heard a lot of things about him, but knowing how it was to be the butt of rumors, she decided not to believe any of it. Until now. She now believed that he was a scary, ruthless man with no mercy at all because-

"My golly, Miss Kang! I never thought that you can make this much traction to our company. Imagine having that kind of impact just by a single clip is just, wow! I need to know a few things though, where is that person now? What happened and all? Because, you know what, with the noise it made in social media, we need to make it bigger and make use of this situation. By heavens, we can make this an exclusive coverage and we'll make a special documentary just for this. You got the sympathy of the public, and now you're a hero! We just need to interview that person you saved, was it a girl? I could barely see the face but anyway, we will just focus on you more after a heartfelt interview with her, oho! Imagine the reaction of the public, just imagine. I can see the future, aha! This will make our name big, might even come close to the big league. My, oh my. I don't know what you did but you're more than a reporter now, you're a celebrity. And with your pretty face, I assure you, you'll never be forgotten by the public."

The man laughed out loud after spitting a rap-like monologue, and it baffled Hyewon so much. She tried to process everything she has heard but it just does not make sense to her. After the CEO's laughter died down, Hyewon raised a question.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hong, I don't quite follow. What exactly do you want me to do?" she asked timidly, confusion written all over her face. Her hands were once again cold due to nervousness, and she was not liking the progression of their meeting so far. She heard Mr. Hong chuckle, almost maniacally in her opinion.

"As expected of reporters, always straight to the point. Same as us businessmen, but honestly media changed me to be this ambiguous. Anyway, what I meant was you need to stay there and report your stay in that god-forsaken place, as much as possible get everything on cam, and by the love of god! Interview whoever that person was, god, an insane person I must say. Nutcrack, absolutely," the CEO explained, clicking his tongue every few often. "So as I was saying, you're there covering the goddamn rain for a day, yeah? Make it two, or three. Well, you can't go back anyway since the bridge's all gone. Now I need you to take good clips to be used for your documentary, okay? I am serious about making a special documentary for whatever the hell you did. This is a win-win for us. Alright?"

Hyewon just stared straight at her CEO, not a muscle moving, not even batting her eye. Sensing that the reporter would not budge any second now, Mr. Hong bid his farewell, of course without failing to reiterate what he had been saying from the start of their meeting. Hyewon could only nod apologetically and offer a practiced smile, something she has mastered for quite a while now. Once the online meeting ended, Hyewon could not help but bang her head against the desk. She had completely forgotten that the bridge connecting their city and this province was now long gone, and she does not know whether there were other ways to get into the city. So, she was stuck. In the middle of a storm. In some inn in the province. With a total stranger.

Feeling all her energy being sucked from her body, Hyewon decided to cook something. She looked at the contents of the fridge as she dragged herself towards it -- ranging from pasta to vegetables to meat -- but ended up picking the ingredients for porridge. As the foodie she was, Hyewon could not even believe herself that she is turning back on all those much tastier food, but her will to eat left her earthly body making her cook up something she once said as a sick man's food. 

But even if her mind detested the thought of cooking and eating porridge or anything for that matter, she still cooked it anyway. As she was stirring the contents of the pot, she remembered that she told Yena that she'll call her back, so she decided she'll call them later while eating the food she prepared. Gathering a bowl of porridge after some minutes of cooking it, she went back to the desk and started eating there, setting up her laptop to video call her friends. After giving it a few rings, her call attempt was answered by a fuming Yena and an annoyed Sakura, on separate screens. Hyewon reckoned the two were at their workplaces now. She smiled awkwardly at the two and decided to say a word first.

"Porridge guys? You look like you haven't had breakfast yet..." she said, dragging her words while mentally banging her head on the wall for the gawky statement. Of course, the two were not impressed. Hyewon sighed, "I'm sorry for making you guys worry. But I'm fine now."

"You look like shit," Sakura deadpanned, looking very much unimpressed with what Hyewon said, and it earned an approving nod and a pout from Yena. It irked Hyewon, the thought that she could not hide anything from her friends -- best friends. Even though miles apart, a single slip from her lips could already be deduced by the two as something. It irked her, but at the same time, it amazed her. Knowing how her friends would not let this one go, she decided to tell them what happened with her online meeting with Mr. Hong. The two attentively listened as if their lives depended on it, carefully intaking all the information given to them. And after explaining everything, the two deeply sighed too, the way Hyewon did after hearing the shenanigans of her CEO. The three just let the silence sank. Sakura had her hands behind her head as she leaned on her chair while Yena tapped on her desk repeatedly, which would have been irritating if not for the situation they learned just now. And Hyewon was just quietly eating her porridge, eating it clean, and even after taking it to the sink, the atmosphere of their video call was still the same. Until Yena dropped her thoughts.

"So, let me get this straight. You are tasked to interview the total stranger you saved from the storm and ask about why they did what they did, the very same stranger sleeping now on your own bed?" To which Hyewon just nodded. "But I don't see any problem with that though? I mean, you're just interviewing her. It's not that bad. Why are you so conflicted?"

Why are you so conflicted? Even Hyewon could not think of an answer to that, but thankfully Sakura shared a piece of her mind.

"Well, first off, the aim of their CEO is exploitative, even if we put it that way, that she's just interviewing her, it still kinda is, I don't know, shady? But well, you did it out of goodwill, right? You know, the whole saving her thing," Sakura rationalized. "Why did you do that anyway? Saving her? I mean, I'd be pretty scared if I were in your position, and I'd rather call the authorities than risk my life like that."

Why did you do that anyway? Saving her? Now, these questions were starting to annoy the wits out of her because she has no answer. And perhaps her friends saw how distraught her face looked because Yena opened up a new topic.

"Anyway, have you heard from the states?"

Ah right. She had long forgotten about that. Hyewon just shook her head, not wanting to talk to it seemingly. "I'll deal with it later."

And the three proceeded to talk like they have not seen each other just last night, even if the two were supposed to be working at that hour until both were summoned by their bosses to do their jobs. It was then that they decided to end the call.

A long sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back on the chair, but a scream startled her. Hyewon turned around to see Yuri up already and confusion and wariness were written all over her face. "What happened? Why am I here? Who are you?!"

The girl said those words at once but after a while realization sunk into her. She scrambled out of the bed, and frantically searched for her sling bag, to which Hyewon pointed out, and fished out her phone only to see that has no battery left. Hyewon noticed that Yuri was starting to panic once again so she decided to speak.

"You already called Chaewon? I think it's Chaewon, and you talked to your mom. Calm down, Yuri. Take deep breaths," Hyewon calmly said in an imposing tone yet soft one. This caught Yuri's attention, and she just stared at Hyewon with her watery eyes after hearing the word 'mom'. As if all energy left her limbs, she slumped down on the floor and started sobbing uncontrollably.

"I need to...go home..." Yuri said in between sobs. "I need to be home."

"Do you remember how you got here? Or even a clue of what happened earlier?" Hyewon asked cautiously, afraid to hurt her further, but Yuri just shook her head. Hyewon took a deep breath to calm herself, she never thought she needed it too. She squatted in front of Yuri's tiny frame and reached out for her hand, and when she felt no resistance, she also held her other hand. She did it because she knew what she was about to say might devastate the poor girl even more, or maybe she did it just because.

"Actually," Hyewon started, and Yuri ceased crying to focus on the other girl. "You were trying to cross the old bridge but then the bridge started to crumble, it just so happened that I was also there so I helped you. But the bridge is gone now so..."

Yuri let go of Hyewon's hands, disbelief painted painfully across her face. Before the girl could burst into tears again, Hyewon consoled her once more."But I heard that the authorities are working on it already, so it will take around 2-3 days to create a temporary bridge, so don't worry."

Yuri stared at her with horror, unable to say a word, and ended up crying once more. This time, Hyewon offered a hug to comfort the crying girl, albeit awkwardly, but it was the best she could offer. They stayed like that for a few minutes, with Yuri shedding tears on Hyewon's chest as Hyewon pat Yuri's back, as the rain continued to terrorize the province. And in the midst of this, Hyewon thought that maybe her fate was tied down with this stranger, a stranger who turned into an acquaintance of some sort, despite the said stranger not knowing who she was hugging. Hyewon chuckled at that thought, which made Yuri stiffen and pull away from the latter, putting a quizzical and wary glare at Hyewon.

"I'm sorry for laughing. I just find it amusing that here you borrowed my phone, slept on my bed, and cried on my shoulders without knowing my name," Hyewon said in a lighthearted manner, but upon seeing how apologetic Yuri looked suddenly, she added, "I'm joking. I'm just trying to make the atmosphere light, you know..."

"I'm Hyewon, by the way. Nice to meet you, Yuri." Hyewon offered a hand that was reciprocated by a hug, surprising her but warmly welcomed it.

And as Hyewon was being hugged by the other girl, giving all her might, she heard a whisper, almost inaudible, but loud enough to knock at doors of her heart. "Thank you..."

"...Hyewon."


	5. five Ws and an H

Usually, Hyewon does not give a fuck about her environment when she is doing her work or anything related to her job. Usually, she has a focused mind that can never be distracted by any noise from her workplace or her own thoughts. Usually, it only takes about a minute or two of resting her eyes and mind before she gets back on track.

Usually.

But in this unusual circumstance where Hyewon was working on an important piece about a person which is beside her -- picking on her porridge that the reporter gave her -- Hyewon could not do anything but stare at her laptop screen, the blinking line in an opened document staring back at her. She wanted to groan out in frustration or curse the damned document not writing itself, but she could not. Not in the presence of this stranger who was stealing glances at her from time to time, distracting her big time. So instead of writing, she just pondered upon what she did for the day, and why she did it.

Why are you so conflicted?

The question Yena threw at her earlier resurfaced in her mind. Leaning back at the chair, she tried to implore this question using her usual way of answering things. As a journalist, Hyewon took it to heart to apply her profession in her life. Her top pick is by using the five Ws. By eliminating the why in the question and replacing it with others, Hyewon believes that she will come across an answer or a clue. And so she tried.

Who is making you so conflicted? Definitely Yuri.

What is making you so conflicted? Probably the whole situation. Please specify the situation. The whole saving-a-girl-in-the-middle-of-the-storm situation, or whatever.

When did you feel so conflicted? When my boss told me to interview her, or bluntly when my boss told me to snoop on her personal matters in the guise of an interview.

Pause.

Isn't that what journalists and reporters do anyway?

The sudden thought made her stop from her self-inquiry, making her lean towards the desk almost suddenly. The sudden movement startled Yuri, who was just sitting beside her but with quite a distance, a distance Hyewon was grateful for. A sudden awkwardness cloaked the entire room once again, the coldness brought about by the storm seemed nothing to the atmosphere in Hyewon's room. It had been silent for quite some time now, aside from the occasional clanking of the spoon against the bowl or the clicking noise of typing in the laptop from the two. Finally, someone decided to break the ice.

"Uhm, Hyewon. Are you okay?" Yuri asked in a low yet tender tone, a mix of wariness and concern waxed in her voice. Hyewon immediately nodded and explained, almost defensively, that she was just spacing out. After Hyewon explained, silence ensued once more. Hyewon was very much accustomed to silence, to awkward moments, to tense situations, and she knew Yuri wanted to say something, or perhaps ask something. But she did not want to lead her on so she stayed shut. Good thing Yuri herself spoke.

"Can you please tell me what happened after I..." Yuri started. "You know, the bridge..." Yuri paused as she bit her lip --which Hyewon observed to be a habit of hers when in an uneasy situation -- seemingly thinking of what to say next. "...how did I get here? With you? In your room?"

Hyewon tried not to smile at how polite Yuri sounded, almost too sincere for her liking. She paused for a bit, gathering her thoughts before she turned to face Yuri at her right. Hyewon then went on to explain what happened when she saw Yuri on the bridge, sparing the details of how she saw how devastated the girl was, from the whole car ride to arriving at the inn. 

"I would have rented another room for you if there were more rooms available, but unfortunately because of the storm and the bridge people were stuck so here we are," Hyewon paused again, trying to gauge the girl's reaction but the latter was unmoving, deep in thought perhaps. The reporter wondered if the girl was spacing out or just processing what she has heard so-

"I also undressed you because you were soaked wet and you might get sick and all, but don't worry, I already asked for your clothes to be laundered..."

Hyewon paused once more, looking intently at Yuri, who was showing no signs of reacting at all. In fact, she seemed unbothered by that fact and kept on spacing out, not minding Hyewon a bit. The reaction amused the reporter but did not prod further. Instead, she just faced her laptop once more and tried her best to get back on her writing. Not until she heard the loud scraping of the chair against the floor and a certain girl almost stumbled as she sprang to her feet.

"You're a reporter!" Yuri yelled out while pointing at the startled Hyewon who was just starting to get into the zone. "You! You are a reporter! I saw you before, that's why you look so familiar!" Almost accusingly pointing, the said reporter tried to calm down the girl by affirming the girl's statement. Hyewon tried to steer the topic away, but Yuri mentioned something that perked her ears up. 

"I'm a Journalism student, already in my third year," Yuri sort of confessed, suddenly feeling shy at how she acted in front of the journalist. "I, uh, well I was doing research, of course, searching for different broadcasting companies, be it big or small so, I...yeah."

Stunned, Hyewon sat there staring back at Yuri while the latter was slowly giving a shy smile. Hyewon thought that she must be thinking too much for her to see the young girl smile for the first time. And perhaps confusion was written all over her face that Yuri had to address her.

"You were proudly smiling, and it made me smile too," Yuri revealed, her face getting redder by the minute. Hyewon automatically clenched her jaw and cleared her throat, sounding a little too arrogant for her liking, but she could not help but feel a bit ecstatic. For all her days of working as a reporter, today was the day that she was actually acknowledged by someone. Funny to think that it was also someone from a relatively remote province when she had been living in the city for all her life and had appeared on the television for quite some time. To be recognized in a place she least expected must have put a smile on her face unknowingly, warming her heart unconsciously. 

And just like that, the wall of tension between the two collapsed and a new bud of friendship blossomed in their midst. Like two long-term friends who found each other again, the two shared stories as if they had known each other for decades. Completely forgetting her work, Hyewon fully faced Yuri to talk about their chosen profession and shared interests. In the middle of a brewing tempest, perhaps Hyewon had gotten into the eye of the storm, finding some sort of peace.

\---

Hours passed and the two had completely forgotten the time not until their stomach rumbled. Hyewon contemplated she should cook something for them, but Yuri was already up, grabbing her bag and pulling out her wallet. "I don't really know how hotels or inns work, but please, at least let me pay for our dinner. I already owe you a lot so let me-"

"Sure," Hyewon cut off the younger girl's words, thinking about how she would be apologetic once more. "It's on the company anyway," Hyewon jokingly added, subtly assuring the girl. Yuri looked like a weight was lifted from her upon hearing Hyewon's joking words, and out of nowhere, she tugged the older girl's hand into her own, leading her out of the room. Hyewon, who was clearly perplexed, could not help but follow along even though her mind was saying no to this sudden skinship as if she had not held the girl's hand before. The innocent Yuri, unknown to the older's resisting gaze at her, even scooted near her as the hallway welcomed them with chilling surroundings, leaving Hyewon with no choice but to cling, too. 

A few people were hanging out at the dining hall when the two arrived. It fits, Hyewon thought, it was already past dining time. She regretted not texting or ringing Seungmin before they went down, but as if godsent, Seungmin suddenly dashed towards them with his professional smile on. 

"Well, my favorite guests have finally decided to have dinner!" Seungmin started, navigating the two towards a table he reserved for them. Hyewon followed him but felt a sudden weight from her arms only to see Yuri clinging tightly to her. It was then that Hyewon noticed how uneasy Yuri looked, which is understandable due to her not knowing who the man is, and decided to clasp their hand together without second thoughts. As they walk together to where they were supposed to seat, Hyewon felt a sudden surge of being overprotective over the younger, as if she was a responsibility, her responsibility. The round table reserved for them had two seats available adjacent to each other and automatically Hyewon pulled one chair nearer to the other before they take their seats.

Just as the two settled, Seungmin brought in food trays for the two of them and naturally pulling out another chair for himself to join the two, placing himself adjacent to them. The young guy also had a meal for himself and was about to take his first bite when he felt a glare boring into his soul, belonging to Hyewon. The older girl was gesturing for him to introduce himself to Yuri, a look Seungmin immediately understood. Clearing his throat, he started to address the younger girl, who was still looking pretty uneasy around him.

"I forgot to introduce myself, sorry," the lad said, flashing an apologetic smile. He went on to introduce himself, stating how he was the manager of the inn and he and Hyewon were childhood friends. Seeing how Yuri was slowly getting comfortable around Seungmin, Hyewon found herself slowly relaxing too. The three continued to eat while sharing Hyewon and Seungmin shared stories while Yuri listened to them.

A warm conversation during a cold and rough night brought about by the rain still not showing any signs of stopping was shared in that dining hall. Hyewon smiled to herself at that pleasant thought, seeing the two getting comfortable around each other bit by bit. She did not know Yuri personally, but she felt that the girl was slowly getting at ease, more like she knew. Now that she found herself thinking about Yuri again, she backtracked her thoughts about those questions earlier. 

Where did you feel conflicted? That question did not make sense. At all. Pass.

How did you feel so conflicted? Hmm, now that's some question. Because I feel like a traitor, about to exploit this person's feelings or experience due to the nature of my job. Though it is not exactly exploiting. It's just my job. It's just a job.

Hyewon was once again immersed in those ideas until a tap pulled her out of her thoughts. It was Yuri, and for a second she thought she saw a hint of worry in her eyes but one blink and it was gone. The latter just informed her that she was going to the restroom for a minute to which Hyewon nodded.

When Yuri was out of sight, Seungmin asked the question he was itching to ask away. "Are you guys dating?"

Hyewon almost choked on the scoop of soup she was about to swallow, but she was shaking her head furiously, showing great denial because how the hell did Seungmin ever think of that when he knew they just met that day?! Seungmin sure was enjoying the sight of Hyewon getting caught off guard by his marvelous question, an amused look on his face which irked Hyewon.

"Get that grin out of your face," Hyewon berated the younger, after gulping a glass of water in one chug. "No, we are not dating, I just met her. Why did you even ask that ridiculous question? Are you out of your mind? That's absolutely ridiculous."

"Well, you two looked like it. Like you have been dating for years. She looks so comfortable around you, and you look so," Seungmin paused, trying to think of the right word as Hyewon looked at her with a deadly glare, which he nonchalantly avoided. "you were glowing." 

Hyewon had to laugh at that nonsense, thinking that maybe Seungmin was out of his mind because of the weight of his work. But she became quiet as fast as she laughed as she was reminded of her own job. And that job involved Yuri, the one Seungmin thought she was dating. Or maybe Seungmin was just teasing. But now, Hyewon was overthinking. Glowing? She was glowing?! Whatever did it mean, she did not like it. 

As Seungmin was about to ask another question, Yuri, fortunately, came back from the restroom. Hyewon thought it was her time now to go freshen up, physically and mentally since her childhood friend threw a rock in the heart of her mind, and now thoughts came rippling through. Leaving in a rush, not even waiting for Yuri to sit down, making the latter utterly confused. 

The two who were left in the dining hall just shared shy smiles, and in the end, Seungmin excused himself as he had things to attend to. With the two awkwardly exchanging 'thank you' and 'see you around', Seungmin left but with a cryptic message, at least for Yuri.

"See you around, Yuri. The storm still hasn't stopped and the temporary bridge still in the works so I assume I'll see you here tomorrow. And oh, thank you for making Hyewonie happier." 

Those words were dancing in Yuri's ears even as Seungmin was out of her sight. How can he say such a thing? What do those words mean? Yuri could not help but think of it. Maybe because Hyewon was glad she could her? Maybe because Hyewon was happier because she does not have to go back to work immediately? Maybe because Hyewon was happy with... Yuri stopped at that thought. And as she did so, a ring startled her. It was Hyewon's. Thinking that Hyewon would be back in a few, she just let the ringing die down. But when it did, another incoming call was prompted. Feeling anxious because of the constant ringing and the persistent light coming from the phone, she had no choice but to answer it. And a woman's voice welcomed her.

"Hello, Hyewon is not h-"

"Hyewon! Are you alright? How are you? What happened to you? Why were you not replying to my messages? I was so worried about you. What took you so long to answer my call?"

A parade of questions was launched by the caller. Out of curiosity about the caller's incessant query, Yuri tried to peek at the caller's name. But before she could, Hyewon arrived and immediately the younger gave the phone to her.

"Minju."

**Author's Note:**

> so hello, this is not my first fic, but it's my first time posting it here on ao3, I hope you enjoy it!


End file.
